


An Ill-Fated Ember

by BestFloofer



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Ficlet, N O S H I P S, Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade is a prince, Technoblade tries to recruit Tommy, Tommy is permanently exiled from L'manberg, also kinda my 2 cents on the dreamsmp plot, bruh if any of them see this i'm gonna crumble up and die, but maybe more?, dream george and sapnap apparently read heatwaves, gotta make sure i can write dialogue and not just fights yknow, i know there's no ships but bro they have ao3 accounts, i'm kinda horrified to post this since, speaking of which i should go back to actual tags, specifically tommy and techno, stop shipping real people y'nasty, this is mostly just writing practice to be honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27878626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestFloofer/pseuds/BestFloofer
Summary: Mostly writing practice about Dream SMP, specifically my take on what would happen after Tommy gets permanently exiled. First chapter written on 12/4/2020 in case I predict the future. First chapter's raw Techno and Tommy dialogue but if I get some support I might e x p a n d into a proper fanfic.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	An Ill-Fated Ember

**Author's Note:**

> In here, "Seeds" refer to massive areas, like an entire Minecraft world. In the grand scheme of this story, they could be considered as continents on a supermassive planet.

TommyInnit laid on a torn bed, staring up at the roof of his cave. It’s been a day since his exile. One spark, one little ember started the whole process. It started as a small robbery, just getting in, taking some random stuff from the new king, leaving an annoying mess and getting out. Until one little flame, a phallic statue that was set ablaze for humiliation purposes, but then it began to spread. He’d thought he could put it out with Ranboo, but they were unable. The flames caused heavy damage to the house’s exterior and interior. While ultimately repairable, Dream had taken it personally. An attack on his new successor for no reason? That wouldn’t stand. Dream forced the new L’manberg president, Tubbo, to exile Tommy from the country. He built obsidian walls around the country, seizing a huge chunk of their land. It would’ve been a temporary leave, but Tommy took it too far. He threatened Dream with a piece of leather from Dream’s old horse, Spirit, causing Dream to build the walls even higher and force Tubbo to exile Tommy for good.

Not welcome on Dream SMP land nor L’manberg land, he had tried to hide out in Pogtopia, but he was swiftly removed and the area placed on guard. Tommy had to flee dozens and dozens of chunks without his gear, having it all confiscated by Sapnap and Dream before kicking him from Pogtopia. He had found a naturally formed cave which he soon made his home. Chopping down nearby trees and having to gather his own supplies and kill wildlife with his bare hands. He’d mustered together an uncomfortable bed, a large chest, and a few pieces of stone gear. The only armor he had was a pair of leather boots, made from the drops of two cows he killed.

He’d pondered about the events earlier that week, in his bed. It was a rainy night, an occasional lightning strike lighting up the area. He had soon felt forced to get up when he saw some movement outside. A figure in the distance, coming closer. It looked human, although the head was somewhat animalistic in features. It was soon obvious who was approaching. The Blade. The most powerful man in the lands. He’d hated him for betraying L’manberg, though his hate was dulled due to his banishment. It was only a few moments before he had arrived at the cave’s entrance.

“What do you want, Technoblade? I’ll fight you dude, not scared of you. Comin’ into my house to pick on me.” Tommy glared at his visitor, squinting at him. His potential foe wore his general, royal attire, with enchanted netherite armor beneath the cape and such. He wore no helmet, instead wearing a crown. It was enchanted, granted the same protection that a helmet would’ve given him. Techno looked the boy up and down, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you gonna do, throw one of your boots at me? I could two-shot you with my eyes closed.” He looked around Tommy’s cave, taking in the living situation and building a mental profile of how Tommy was likely feeling about his current situation. He closed his eyes for a moment as he gathered his thoughts and put them into a plan. "Do you remember what I told you that day, Tommy?” Techno tilted his head, looking at Tommy with a flat expression, his trademark monotone voice. That day when Techno had summoned the Withers and laid waste to what was already a crater from Wilbur’s actions.

Tommy thought for a moment, back to the battle again Techno and the Dream Team. The last battle he had with Tubbo and Fundy, the first time he’d had to fight a battle as a leader, without Wilbur leading him, the last battle he had been considered a hero. “The story of Thesius? The guy who got exiled, even though he saved everyone?”   
  


“The government you fought so hard to protect, look what it did to you. Look what your best friend did as soon as he got power. He didn’t stand up for you, he didn’t go to war like you would’ve expected him to. As soon as you slipped up, they exiled you. Bonds and friendship are just words, Tommy, they don’t mean anything in the long run.” The pig’s white eyes started into Tommy’s, unblinking. He silently analyzed every miniscule detail on Tommy’s face as he waited for his response.

“Well, that wasn’t because of power, that was just because of the—” Tommy had begun to speak, but Techno had immediately found a weak spot in Tommy’s argument and swiftly cut him off. If he were able to deconstruct Tommy’s train of thought, picking it apart and debunking it, surely he’d have an opportunity to convert the young warrior into an anarchist. Obviously not for strength purposes, Tommy certainly had potential, but Chaos Incarnate didn’t need an assistant, it could wreak havoc regardless of if a child chose to help him or not. It was raw tactics. Had Tommy been on the blade’s side, he could manipulate others with much more ease and finesse.

“Look at all three presidents of L’manberg, Tommy. Wilbur, he set up a rigged election to hold power forever, and still lost because of an oversight. He was exiled, and went insane, you saw it yourself. He spent his days plotting against the rightfully elected ruler, and blew everything up as soon as the battles had ended. He was under Dream’s payroll the whole time, and now he’s a ghost who doesn’t know what happened. Schlatt? Do I have to explain what he did? He banished you and Wilbur on a whim, and tore down the walls of L’manberg so he’d have an opportunity to seize more land. He even changed the flag and name, just because he felt like it. You think Tubbo was any better? As soon as he was in power, he wanted to keep it. He bent to Dream’s will and exiled you the moment he felt threatened.”

“What’s the point of this? You’re just using big words, to try and.. to try and, fuckin’—” Another weak spot. He had Tommy on the ropes, the boy had no proper response to him, and he was prepared to exploit that as far as he could. The shaking tone of Tommy’s voice, the slight glances in other directions, the pathetic attempt to try and dodge around what Techno was saying. He held up his hand to cut off Tommy this time, who stopped speaking accordingly.

“You think I’m some villain, Tommy, just because the word “Anarchist” has a stigma behind it. I wanted the best for you and L’manberg this entire time.” Techno advanced, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, and speaking into his ear. This all too familiar position gave Tommy a brief flashback to Wilbur and him in the original Pogtopia base. “There can never be a president.” Techno walked behind Tommy, kicking the bottom of the boy’s large chest to pop it open. “When there’s a president, there’s a government. When there’s a government, there’s power. When there’s power, there’s corruption. Look what the government did, Tommy.” He speared a half rotten piece of steak from Tommy’s chest, holding it up on his Netherite sword. “If there was no corruption, why didn’t you face a fair trial, instead having the entire courthouse against you? You know Tubbo was against you, a second culprit was pointed out and ignored to persecute you. Why are you in a cave, thousands of blocks away from either faction, eating rotten meat with nothing more than stone in your chests.”

The boy stayed quiet, thinking up some kind of witty response like he’d have usually crafted, but deep within his core, he thought Techno was right. If this was different, if Tubbo wasn’t president, there wouldn’t have been a reason for him to side with Dream and not follow him like always, there would’ve been no reason for them to break apart. Maybe if he was president, if he had kept it to himself, then he would’ve fought back against Dream.  **He** would’ve stayed in the right! “Well if I’d—” But Techno cut him off again, viciously assaulting his arguments and comebacks with premeditated replies. He turned to stare down Tommy’s soul as the rotten meat slipped from his blade and back into the chest.

“You think you would’ve been any better? You would’ve burnt down George’s house just the same, and you would’ve plunged L’manberg into another war as soon as Dream started getting in your face. For what reason, for content?” Techno walked back towards the entrance of the cave. “Long ago, there was a man, Sun Tzu. You know what he said, Tommy? “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” You’d have been defeated the moment you took the seat of president.” Techno didn’t bother to even look over his shoulder at Tommy, he already had him in his grasp. He used a bit of his cape to wipe off the juices from the rotten steak he speared a few minutes prior.

The animal-headed man held his blade up when he finished cleaning it, glancing at Tommy’s reflection for a moment before sheathing it. Tommy was looking to the ground, dejected. Techno was right, he would’ve gone to war with Dream, he would’ve either lost or been overthrown and exiled again. There  _ was _ no winning with a government. There was still something he had to ask, while he had the chance. “Techno, if you’re so anti-government, why do you have a crown? Wouldn’t that mean you’re royalty? Like a Prince or something?”

Techno looked outside at the night sky. “I  _ am _ royalty, Tommy. A far off kingdom, seeds away.” To be quite honest, Techno hadn’t expected this question, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t answer it. His royal attire had always seemed out of character for someone so chaotic and anti-government. It’d gone unquestioned for so long, he’d almost forgotten he wore a crown and cape every day.

“So you’re a hypocrite? Talkin’ all high and mighty about hating the government but being a prince?” Tommy thought he’d finally had something on Techno in this exchange, until he noticed the royal shaking his head. He lacked his menacing aura, just for a moment, as he recalled things that happened long ago in another seed.

“You know what happened with my old family?  **I exiled myself.** The way the king ran the country, I saw first hand how government tears things down. The corruption and bloodshed, I wanted no part of it, so I left. I’ve always been against this sort of thing, Tommy. I’m going to tear down the L’manberg government, and then I’m going to assassinate George again. You can do what you want, but you and I both know that I’m the only one in the seed who can defeat Dream in a fight. You’re not the only one I’ve had a talk with in a pit.” Techno thought back. He had defeated Dream, an old duel in an arena far off. It was for a hefty sum of money, but that wasn’t what Techno was in it for. He knew Dream was a king, and he wanted to send a message to him directly, since he had planned to travel to his seed. He floored Dream in the last rounds, ending it with a score of 6-4, and leaving Dream to know that he’d have no control over him when he was there.

Tommy’s eyes darted around his cave, subconsciously trying to detach himself from the conversation, he wasn’t often in a position where he was at such a loss, every point he could give being debunked and every crack he thought he’d found just being a hair dangling in front of his eye. He looked back at his chest of junk and half-eaten food, thinking back to when he had his own house in L’manberg. Back when he had real food and didn’t eat like a raccoon, back when he had his friends to hang out with, back when he  _ was _ somebody, back when he was a  _ hero _ . Techno turned to him once again, holding a hand out towards him. “You liked  _ playing _ the hero, Tommy, but you only  _ were _ a hero twice. When you fought against Dream, and when you fought against Schlatt. When you were  **against** the government. I’ll only offer you this once, Tommy. Will you join me, and bring about peace by anarchy?”

Tommy looked at Techno, slowly looking down from his crown, to his face, to his shoulder, to his arm, to his hand. He looked back at the cave one last time, and closed his eyes as he turned back to the renegade, before he reached out his hand.

“ **I’d be honored to join the Blade.** ”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading
> 
> did you know why it's called feedback? it's because it feeds me  
> please i'm starving  
> spare me a comment


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